Method of treating cystic fibrosis using 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine or xanthine amino congeners

Abstract

A method of treating cells having a reduced apical Cl - conductance, such as that characteristic of cystic fibrosis cells, by contacting cells having a reduced apical Cl - conductance with a therapeutically effective quantity of a compound that antagonizes the A 1 -adenosine cell receptor and does not antagonize the A 2 -adenosine cell receptor. Suitable compounds include 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine (CPX), xanthine amino congener (XAC), and therapeutically effective derivatives thereof.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of treating cystic fibrosis in a mammal in need of such treatment, which method comprises administering a therapeutically effective amount to said mammal of 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine or xanthine amino congener. 
     
     
       2. The method of claim 1, wherein said mammal is a human. 
     
     
       3. The method of claim 2, wherein said compound is 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine. 
     
     
       4. The method of claim 3, wherein said cystic fibrosis is characterized by the existence of cystic fibrosis cells in said human having a deletion involving phenylalanine at amino acid position 508 of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator. 
     
     
       5. The method of claim 3, wherein said compound is administered directly to the lung of said human. 
     
     
       6. The method of claim 5, wherein said compound is administered as a pharmaceutically acceptable aqueous solution containing from about 0.001 to about 0.01% w/w of said compound. 
     
     
       7. The method of claim 5, wherein said compound is administered as a pharmaceutically acceptable aerosol containing from about 0.001 to about 0.01% w/w of said compound. 
     
     
       8. The method of claim 3, wherein said compound is orally administered in an amount of about 0.1 mg/kg body weight per day. 
     
     
       9. The method of claim 2, wherein said compound is xanthine amino congener. 
     
     
       10. The method of claim 9, wherein said cystic fibrosis is characterized by the existence of cystic fibrosis cells in said human having a deletion involving phenylalanine at amino acid position 508 of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator. 
     
     
       11. The method of claim 9, wherein said compound is administered directly to the lung of said human. 
     
     
       12. The method of claim 11, wherein said compound is administered as a pharmaceutically acceptable aqueous solution containing from about 0.001 to about 0.01% w/w of said compound. 
     
     
       13. The method of claim 11, wherein said compound is administered as a pharmaceutically acceptable aerosol containing from about 0.001 to about 0.01% w/w of said compound. 
     
     
       14. The method of claim 9, wherein said compound is orally administered in an amount of about 0.1 mg/kg body weight per day.